Missouri committee weighs bill to give every public school a simple A–F report card, debate centers on growth metrics and incentives

The House Committee on Elementary and Secondary Education heard testimony on HB 2710 on Jan. 13, a bill by Representative Dane Deel that would require the State Board of Education to issue a standard, easy‑to‑read A–F and 0–100 report card for every public school, charter and district. The sponsor said the proposal focuses on proficiency in reading, math and science and adds a new ‘‘growth to proficiency’’ metric intended to recognize schools that lift students toward grade‑level mastery.

"What this bill does, it requires the state board to create a standard, easy to read report card for every public school, public charter, and district in the state," Deel told the committee. "It assigns A through F rating and a 0 to a 100 scale, really focuses on how many are proficient in reading, math, and science… and the growth aspect, the growth of proficiency." (Representative Dane Deel)

Why it matters: supporters say a single, intuitive grade makes it easier for parents to compare schools and for policymakers to target support. Opponents say reducing complex performance to one letter risks misleading parents and driving high‑stakes responses from districts and educators.

What the bill would do: HB 2710 would require DESE to publish a one‑page report card and assign an A–F and numerical score based on a combination of academic achievement, value‑added/growth and other measures. The bill also creates a ‘‘Show Me Success’’ program that would channel state incentives to schools that meet specified performance or improvement thresholds.

Support and evidence: Stacy Mallorine, a member of Louisiana’s State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, told the Missouri panel that Louisiana adopted a letter‑grade system and later saw notable gains on national assessments. "We increased 17 spots in our rankings in less than 5 years," Mallorine said, urging the committee to adopt a clear, parent‑friendly grade system. Several parent‑advocacy groups and policy organizations also testified in favor, arguing parents want a digestible metric.

Opposition and concerns: Teacher groups and school administrators cautioned against oversimplification. Mike Harris of the Missouri State Teachers Association said, "Simplifying the measure down to a simple letter grade is our biggest opposition…that one letter grade will mean everything for that student, that school." The teachers’ union and the Missouri NEA urged the committee to preserve multiple measures, maintain local input and avoid creating a ‘‘moving target’’ by automatically ratcheting up standards as more schools improve.

Technical questions and DESE role: committee members pressed the sponsor on how the growth metric would be calculated and who would run the calculations. Sponsor Deel said some growth measures could be derived from MSIP‑6/value‑added calculations and that DESE or outside contractors could implement aspects of the model. The chair and members discussed timing for data embargo and public release (July 15 in the draft vs. the governor’s suggested Sept. 15) and whether bonuses could flow to districts rather than individual teachers because of constitutional limits on teacher bonuses.

Budget and staffing: members expressed concern about fiscal notes and ongoing costs if an outside agency is engaged repeatedly to compute the growth metric. Witnesses said existing DESE contracts (including work the University of Missouri performs on growth measures) provide a model, but estimates and implementation timelines will need clarification.

Procedure and next steps: the committee gathered extensive testimony from supporters, opponents and DESE officials but did not take a vote in the transcript. Several members asked the sponsor and DESE to work on clarifying language about embargo/release dates, the exact growth calculation, the distribution of any incentive dollars and how the new report card would align with DESE’s existing APR materials. The committee indicated it will continue to refine the bill with input from stakeholders.